English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D)

At Beverley Hills Primary School we pride ourselves on giving each and every student A Great Start.  We are particularly proud of the way we cater for our EAL students – over 80% of our student population.

We welcome new families from many different countries and know that diversity enhances our school community.

If limited English is a barrier to communication, we arrange for an interpreter to be present to help with enrolment, parent teacher interviews or dealing with any parent queries or concerns.

Our school has an excellent relationship with Blackburn English Language School (BELS). All students who have been in Australia for less than six months will have an initial assessment from BELS. This is followed by an interview with parents and our EAL staff to discuss recommendations to best meet the educational needs of each child.

In addition to the possibility of attending BELS for a period of six months, at BHPS we are committed to providing small group tuition for newly arrived students. The ratio of teacher to students allows EAL students more opportunities to speak, read and write and quickly gain confidence in their new language. EAL students attend several of these sessions each week.

All teachers at BHPS have had Professional Development in the area of EAL and as a result are better equipped to meet the challenges that teaching a student with no or very little English presents. We have many resources, particularly visual aids, to support our new language learners.

We welcome new students with a smile and take every opportunity we can to reduce the anxiety they may be experiencing. Our staff select a classroom buddy for new students so they are not alone at recess and lunch breaks when they first arrive. It isn’t long before new students with little English are playing happily in the playground, making new friends and using their new language: English!